Automatic player piano



Ailg- 6, 1929- HEITZMANN 1 1,723,854

' AUTOMATIC PLAYER PIANO Filed Dec. 26, 1924 .Zaziz'a INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

a Passed u ie, 19 9.

lip u eu n e i flecember 26131924, Serial minaret n This invention 'relate sfto improvements in l automateplayerfpi a s of the pneumatic type and has for its primaryobjectpthe provision of a mean j ior automatically locking the keyglevers Ofllhe instrument when power is applied to the main bellowsby means of a the foot pedals or othervpowerlwhich maybe 7 employechiit being understoodthat when the a key levers are unlocked, the instrument may be played in theusualfmanneroas that of an ordinary piano." i

'Another object of the invention resides i in utilizing the vacuum set up by the main bellows for, moving ailock bar to a locking position and holding the sameinthisposi4 tionuntil actuation of the foot pedals has ceased; whereupon therbar will automatically move to aniunlockedpositi'on. i

V NVith these andbther objects in View; the

invention .resides in certain novel construc tion and combination and arrangementgof parts, the essential features ofwhich are illustrate a hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed outin the appendedclaims andare. lin the accompanying drawing, in @which-@ t i Figure l is a -detail]transverse sectionalyo isjconstantlymaintained innthe chamber 16 v i i viewthrougha portionlof a player piano showing my invention applied thereto'and with the lock-barin a vnonelocking position.

Fig re 21s a similarview butshowing the lockbar in alockingpositions v v i i Figure?) is a detaiLperspective view-of a portion of the key-board withthe lock bar in looking position. i Figure Ais; a view' showing a slightly modified lformoof inventio r I Referringmoreparticularlygto the draw ing, the reference numeral 10 a designates thefikey board of a player piano, 11 the key levers pivoted by pins 7 12 in the usual manner, 13 the stickers operable by? the key leversifor. operating the hammers,; and 14:

the main bellows operable respectively by foot pedalsfl15, The mainbellows 14 has communication with an air chamber or reservoir 16 throughfopenings 17 5 and an air exhaust port A bellows 19 is suspended below the keys board andhis connected withchamber 16 by apipeor tube20 .y-Alock bar- 21 extends the length of the keyboard beneath the key levers and is pivotallymounted asat 22 iAn arm 23 issecured to the lock bar and is anismwhichis jautomatically operable upon 110 a i controlled by a flap valve connected with'the movable wall of thelbel lows 19 by a connecting link 24. In the drawing, only fone 'bellowsl 19; connecting rod 2land 'an arm 23 is-shown, but these parts ma be duplicated at the other end of the key operation;

card" desired for simultaneous In operation, we shall presume that the'x lock baris in the position shown in Figure 1 i of. the drawing and pressure is applied to same]. "As the pedal moves forward the air in the bellows 14 is exhausted through the only a small amount passes intojthe chamber either ofthe foot pedals 15 to depress the opening controlled by the flap valve 18 and i 16. As the bellows moves'backward to this i this position by reason of the vacuum which due to the. successive operation of the foot 1 pedals; When pressure is relieved from both pedals, the pedals will assumean out ward position which breaks the vacuum in toexpand whereuponthe lock bar is moved In Figure 4 of thedrawing, I have shown a slight modification of thelocking means former position by "reason of the usual spring forreturning the pedals tonormal position; a suction or vacuum is created within the chamber 17 which in turn causesthe bellows 19 to collapse, thereby operat- Qingfthe link 2% which causes'the arm 23 to move the lock bar to'a position shown in Figure 2 of the drawing; When the lock t baris' in thisposition, the key levers 11 are 80 locked againstmovement and willbe held in thelchamber thereby causing the bellows 19 v to a non-locking; position. 9o

whichincludes a bellows 19 to which is connectedonefend of a link 25, the other end of the link havingconnection with an arm 26 ofa pivoted member 27. The member 27 is formed with a locking extension 28 whichis adapted to be moved into.engagement with the endsof the ke levers 11 when v-the bellows 19is collapse The vacuum for compressing the bellows 19 is similar to that shownin the preferred formand a a description of the same is not deemed necessary. .The member 27 extends the entire length of the key board for locking all of "the key levers simultaneously upon the collapsing of thebellows 19". romp the foregoing descriptiom-it will be seen that I haveshown and provided a mechthe actuation 6f the foot pedal sl when" it'is 1 desired to operate the piano as afiplayei of certatin deviees now employed =foi- Pthis' purpose. Although foot pedals have been shown for operating the main bellows, it

will be appreciated that any other mecha; nism maybe substituted there-for; slich 'ae an electric motor.. 1 a t i t WhileI have deecri'b'ed what I deein tobe the mo st desirableemhodiment of my inventiongit is 'ohvio'ilsthat' many. of thed'etails may be aried without in any way. dew

partinglfroin the spirit of lny-inventiomand p I thereforedo hotlilnit myself to the exact details of construction herein eet foi thf nor 7 to anything, less thanithe whole of my in= vention Iimi'te'donly by the appended claim. piano which eliminates the entire opeia'tiohr f t 12L -A' pneumatically operated piano comprising a main bellows operated by a foot pedal, an auxiliary bellows connected therewith by That isvclail'ned as new 1s a conduit, a linl zfconnecting' the auxiliary bellows with .apivdtd lock bar for the keys, a wind chest connected with the conduit having ports opening int'o'thev main bellows, and,

afiap"va1velintheni'ain bellows to exhaust ate" the lockb ai for the keys.

In testimon whereof I'have afiixed 

